


Love Is a Battlefield

by jstabe



Series: MFD [7]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Injury, M/M, Pre-Slash, Presumed Dead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:21:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22024756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jstabe/pseuds/jstabe
Summary: Exploding buildings shouldn't lead to dates, but no one's ever told Clint that.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton
Series: MFD [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588693
Comments: 27
Kudos: 141
Collections: MCU Christmas Exchange, Mandatory Fun Day





	Love Is a Battlefield

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GracieForeth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GracieForeth/gifts).



> This fic was written as a gift for the MCU Christmas Exchange. The prompt was almost died.
> 
> It also doubles as a late fill for the Mandatory Fun Day prompt "You can't be mad at me, I saved your life."

Bucky is really goddamn tired of HYDRA popping up. Ever since coming back to himself (and to Steve) and becoming part of the Avengers, HYDRA will show up and try to recapture the Winter Soldier. They aren't well organized or well-funded, are more of a nuisance than anything else. Still, they manage to irritate Bucky on a fairly regular basis. Steve is more concerned than angry: worried that at some point, the idiots are going to get lucky and manage to capture Bucky. Bucky would be offended at that suggestion, considering his skills, but Steve has lost Bucky once. Losing him again seems to be the only thing that scares him these days. 

With that in mind, Bucky is taking this latest fight seriously. This group is actually a little worrying, as they seem intent on taking Bucky out rather than kidnapping him. They've managed to herd him into an abandoned warehouse on the dock where the fight began. He can hear Iron Man's repulsors whining outside, and the occasional clang of the shield. They'll be inside in moments; all Bucky has to do his hold his own for a bit. Shouldn't be that hard even with the odds stacked about twenty to one. 

He's shot a HDYRA dude when there's a whistle past his ear and he jerks around in time to watch another dude fall down dead, an arrow sticking out of his eye. He looks up to see Hawkeye on a catwalk about ten stories up, bow at the ready. He catches Bucky's eye, lowers the bow to send Bucky a wink. In that instant he transforms into Clint Barton, all cheesiness and cheer. Bucky gives him a nod of thanks, and the jerk takes a bow. Bucky's lips twitch, but he doesn't have time to continue the off and on flirting he and Clint have been doing. 

The fight is fast and brutal, Bucky being forced further and further up in the building as the bad guys keep coming from nowhere. Clint's working his ass off to keep thinning the pack, and Bucky is taking out his fair share as well, but they are still seriously outnumbered. Despite his best efforts, Bucky finds himself on the top floor of the building with nowhere else to go. Clint comes rolling into the room, shifting up onto a knee to shoot three arrows out of the door. He kicks out to close it, and Bucky fires at the lock. That will hold for a couple of minutes, maybe. If they're lucky. 

Bucky goes to the wall of windows, shaking his head when he looks out. "We're too far up to jump, and we can't go back down. Shit." 

"Cap's down there, but…" 

Clint trails off as something catches his eye. Bucky can't tell what it is, and Clint doesn't bother to let him in on it. He reaches up to tap at his comm. "Hey, Stark? Where are you?" 

"Just finished clearing out the northeast corner. I'm heading in to backup Cap." 

"No, don't. I need you on the south side of the building, right fucking now." 

"You got it, Hawkguy. What am I looking for?" 

"I'm sending you a package. Don't miss it, okay?" Clint's eyes lock onto Bucky's. "It's important." 

Bucky's eyes narrow. "Clint, what are you…" 

Clint cuts him off, running across the room to leap up and grab onto a rafter overhead. He brings his feet up, and Bucky doesn't have time do more than curse in shock before booted feet are slamming into his chest. The momentum shoves him straight out the window. He slams into something hard that he immediately realizes is Iron Man. He can hear Stark cursing through the comms. 

"What the fuck, Barton?" 

Bucky knows his shock is real when he doesn't bother to come up with a nickname for Clint. 

"We got a problem. This floor is wired to blow. Ten seconds, guys. Get the fuck out of the building." 

Bucky starts to struggle against Stark's hold. "Goddamn it, Stark. Drop me. Get him out of there!" 

Stark ignores him of course, not dropping Bucky until he's close enough to the ground to not be hurt. Steve comes running out of the building, yelling at Stark. 

"It was too far up for me to get to Clint." 

"I'm on it," Stark says, shoots back up. 

He's barely three floors up when the building explodes. 

"No!" Bucky screams. 

He and Steve watch in horror as Iron Man is blown back, hitting the building opposite them before he manages to right himself. He immediately flies back toward the burning building. 

"Tony." 

Steve's voice is trembling, and his gaze hasn't left the building. 

"I can get in, I can…" 

"Abort, Tony. There's no way in." 

Bucky hears Stark curse, watches in shock as he slowly comes down to street level. 

"No, Steve, what the fuck?" 

He shoves at Steve and runs for the door, gets tackled from behind before he can get inside. He squirms against Steve's hold; tries to crawl the few steps he needs to get inside. He's fighting Steve, kicks out at Stark when he tries to help Steve hold him back. 

"No, Stevie, no. We have to help him." 

They're sitting in the dirt, Steve wrapped around him like an octopus. Stark is kneeling next to them, faceplate up, face drawn and pale. Bucky reaches out as best he can from the cage of Steve's arms, metal hand clanging against Stark's armor as he grasp's his arm. 

"Tony, please." 

Tony swallows hard, turns his head to look at Bucky. His eyes are sad. "I'm sorry, Bucky. There's no way in." 

Bucky goes limp, throat burning with the need to scream. Steve realizes that Bucky has gone quiet, and he loosens his hold just enough to pull them to their feet. He tugs Bucky back away from the falling debris, wraps an arm around his waist. 

It takes simultaneously no time at all and forever for the firefighters arrive. They go to work, and all Bucky can do is wait. They're Avengers, yet there is nothing they can do to help. Bucky's left arm keeps recalibrating with his agitation. Steve reaches out to rest his hand on Bucky's shoulder in silent support. 

The fire is still burning hot when Bucky catches a flash of red from around the corner. He'd not even stopped to think where Natasha had disappeared to during the fight. His stomach churns with guilt at the idea of facing Clint's best friend, considering Clint had been lost because of him. 

"Clint!" 

Steve's voice makes Bucky jerk and he realizes that Natasha is making her way slowly around the corner, supporting Clint's weight. Steve is moving to help Natasha while Bucky's brain is still processing. He's finally able to make himself move, and he reaches Clint's side just as Steve does. It turns out to be perfect timing as Clint's knees give out and he begins to fall, nearly taking Natasha out with him. Steve and Bucky grab onto them both, Tony flagging down EMTs that had been hovering at the periphery of the scene. 

"'m fine," Clint murmurs. "Don' need medical." 

"Goddamn it, Clint." Bucky's voice is rough. 

Clint looks up, eyes glazed with pain. He has burns on his neck and right shoulder, and his breathing is labored. Bucky can't see any other injuries, doesn't need to. 

"Get your ass on that stretcher, Barton, or I'll put you there myself." 

Clint blinks at him, eyes full of hurt. "You can't be mean to me, I saved your life." 

Two EMTs have joined them and it takes Steve, Bucky, and Natasha to get Clint's stubborn ass onto it. One of the EMTs gets an oxygen mask over Clint's face while the other begins to check his pulse. Bucky reaches out to take Clint's free hand and link their fingers. 

"You shouldn't have done that, Clint. God." 

Clint shakes his head, shakes the EMT off to reach up and lowers the oxygen mask out of the way. "Had to. Tony couldn't hold us both. Can't let you get hurt." 

Bucky swallows hard and squeezes Clint's fingers. "I'd rather be hurt than see it happen to you." 

Clint shrugs, winces when it jostles his burned shoulder. "I feel the same about you, so I guess we're at an impasse." 

"Or we could both just promise not to get blown up." 

Clint smiles, ignores the EMT as he tries to lower the oxygen mask. "I will if you will." 

Bucky lets go of his hand to hold his pinky finger up. Clint beams at him, holds up his hand so they can pinky swear. Clint smile is blinding even as Natasha elbows the EMT out of the way and raises the oxygen mask herself. Clint subsides, lets the EMTs finish their checks and wheel him toward the ambulance. 

No one even bothers to try and stop Bucky from climbing into the ambulance with him. He stays near Clint's feet, out of the way, his hand on Clint's ankle. Clint's eyes have closed, but he's still smiling slightly. Bucky rubs his ankle gently as the doors are closed behind them. 

"I owe you one, Barton." 

Clint's eyes open and he blinks sleepily. His voice is muffled behind the mask. Thank God for super soldier hearing. "'kay. You can buy me dinner." 

Bucky smothers a laugh. "Did you seriously just ask me out in the back of an ambulance?" 

"Did it work?" 

"Sadly. I'd like to pretend I have standards, but I really want to go out with you." 

Clint's grinning despite the pain Bucky knows he must be in, especially with the EMT beginning to work over him. 

"'s long as it's not an obligation." 

"Not even close to obligation, Barton. So behave and get better." 

"Deal." 

Clint's eyes close then and Bucky's gaze jerks toward the EMT. She smiles reassuringly at him. "His vitals are good. He's just resting." 

Bucky nods, shifts to Clint's other side so he can link their fingers. He can wait to yell at Clint until later. Then he's getting pizza. He knows what it takes to woo a Hawkeye.


End file.
